Rotary printing press



Nov. 14, 1944. A. WEISS 2,362,735

ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Dec. 31, 1941 INVENTOR ,ADOLPH WEISSATTORNEY Patented 'Nov. 14, 1944 ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Adolph Weiss,Brooklyn, NY., assignor by mesne assignments, to Champlain Company,

Inc.,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 31,1941, Serial No. 425,035

' e ciai s. (01 101-453)? This invention relates to rotary printingpresses 1 and aims to provide an improved removable bearing for theshaftof a rotogravure printing cylinder which includes improved meansforaxially adjusting said shaft.

In rotogravure printing presses, it is desirable to mount the printing;cylinder in such a manner thatit may be moved axially for makingadjustments in side register and maybe easily removed from the frameswhen it is desired to printdifierent designs or colors. For thispurpose, it has been suggested that at least one of the'bearings for theprinting cylinder shaft be mounted in a tapered housing which may beaccurately and tightly secured in a suitable opening in the side framebut easily removed therefrom. To eifect the axial adjusting movement of,the cylinder shaft for making corrections in side register; means aremounted at the side of the shaft and bearing housing and operativelyconnected to the shaft. However, such constructions are of necessityrather complicated, often tend tobind during operation due to theirbeing off center, require the disconnection of many parts in order toremove the bearing housing andthe cylinder from the frames, and requirereadjustment when the bearing housing is again placed in operativeposition after removal. Moreover, when constructions of this characterare used in rotogravure printing presses having enclosed ink fountains,they may be complicated even further.

I have invented, an improved removable bearing for a rotogravureprinting presswhich is subject to none of these difficulties, is simplein construction, efficient in operation and easily and quicklyremovableas a unit both from the printing cylinder shaft and from thepress frame. In accordance with my invention, the adjusting means foraxially moving the printing cylinder shaft are included in the bearinghousing and arranged The entire housing member and the operating partsincluded therein may be easily mounted in andremovecl from a suitableopening provided in the press frames.

An important feature of this construction, in addition to the lack ofnecessity of disconnecting operating parts when removing the unit, isthat after a side register adjustment has been made, the bearing unitmay be removedwithout disturbingthe relationship of the parts. Hence,

when the b'earing'unit is replaced after removal,

the press" is usually ready for operation without further adjustment. I

Theabove and other features and objects of the invention will becomeapparent upon consideration of the following detailed descriptionand theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of arotogravurerprinting press in which my inventionhas been embodied; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views taken substantially alongthelin'es 2-2 and 3--3, respectively,'of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown one form of constructionembodying the essential features of my invention applied to arotogravure printing press of the general type disclosed in A.

concentrically to the printing-cylinder shaft so as to provide a unitaryconstruction which may be removed from the press frame withoutthenecessity of disconnecting any of the operating parts thereof andwithout disturbing the side register adjustment.

My improved bearing construction thus comprises a taperedcylindric'alhousing member having a sleeve mounted therein and adaptedto receive the printing cylinder shaft. This sleeve is rotatablysupported in suitable bearings and operatively connected to aconcentrically mounted axially movable cylindrical adjusting member sothat it may be moved therewith for eflectingany desired correctionsoradjustments in side register,

Weiss Reissue Patent No. 21,212 to which reference may be made'for amorecomplete descriptionof all parts of the printing press. which do notform a part of my invention. Such rotogravureprinting presses include anengraved printing cylinder I0 having a shaft I2 rotatably supported inspaced side frames 14. i The print-' ing cylinder cooperates with aresilient impression cylinder (not shown) to provide a printing couplethrough which webs or sheets of the material to bev printed may bepassed, Although I have shown my invention embodied in a rotogravureprinting press of this character, it is to be understood that in itsbroader aspects said invention may be applied to and embodied in rotaryprinting presses generally.

Asshown in Fig. 2, one end of the printing cylinder shaft l2 is mountedin an elongated bushing or sleeve l6 which is rotatably supported in adouble roller bearing I8 having an inner race 21) and an outer race 22.The inner race 2!] is keyed at 24 to the sleeve [6 so as to rotatetherewith, whereas the outer race 22 is mounted with'a press fit in asuitable cylindrical opening 26 provided in a housing member) 28 andheld therein by means of a flanged cylindrical retaining collar or ring30. Collar 30 isattached to the housing member by means of screws 32passing through the flange thereof. The bottom or inside face of thecylindrical opening 26 is formed with a recess 34 for the reception of asuitable lubricant which is held therein by means of a packing ring 36mounted in an annular opening 38 and having frictional engagement withthe face of said opening and the outside surface of the sleeve Hi. Inthe construction shown, the packing ring36 is held in place by means ofa supporting plate 40 for an end seal 42 which cooperates with theprinting cylinder l and forms a part of the enclosed ink fountain forsaid printing cylinder as disclosed in my patent referred to above.

inner race, which is mounted on the end of the shaft I2, may bearagainst the end of the said sleeve. The ball bearing 16 is adapted totake both a radial and a thrust load and has the inner race held inproper position by means of a flanged retaining ring 12 and the outerrace held in proper position by means of a flanged retaining ring 14.Retaining ring 12 is threaded so that it may be screwed upon a threadedreduced end 16 of the printing cylinder shaft I2, and retaining ring 14is removably held in proper position by While the housing member 28 maybe of'any desired shape, I prefer to have it circular and provided witha tapered face 44,"corresponding in depth with the thickness of the sideframe l4.- A plurality of segmental flanges 46 are attached to or formedOn the housing member 28 and are adapted to bear against the outsideface ofthe frame [4 and prevent the housing from passing through atapered opening 48 provided in the side frame M. In the presentinstance, I have shown three segmental flanges 46 formed on the outsideof the housing member28. These cooperate with suitable attaching lugs orbrackets 56 which are secured in proper position, substan tially 120apart, to the outside face of the frame M. The attaching lugs 56 and theflanges 46 are constructed and arranged so that when the housing is inthe position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, it will be suitably lockedand ready for operation of the press. However, upon rotating saidhousing in a counterclockwise direction through a small arc to theposition shown in dot and 'dash lines in Fig. 1, the flanges 46 will bebrought out of engagement with the cooperating brackets or lugs 50 sothat said housing may be removed from the tapered opening 48. Tofacilitate, the insertion and removal of the housing 28, it may beprovided with a suitable fitting 52 which is attached thereto by meansof screws 54 and provided with an angularly disposed opening 56 which isadapted to receive a reduced end 56 of a removable operating handle 59.In addition to 1 this, the flanges 46 may be provided with sloping loweredges 60 for cooperation with sloping cam members 6| to cause the entirehousing to be moved outwardly from theframe when rotated in acounterclockwisedirection by. the handlej56 as indicated in Figs. 1 and3.

It will be apparent that the constructionthus -fardescribed provides anefficient removable bearing for the printing cylinder shaft 12 which maybe readily removed from the frames and the shaft l2 so that the printingcylinder 16 may be withdrawn from the press through the opening 48provided in the press frame. According to, my invention, the housing 28also includes andsupports means for effectingaxial movement of theprinting cylinder shaft for making corrections in side register. Suchmeans will now bedescribed. d y

-In Fig. 2, it will be noted that vtheinside sur; face of the retaining.collar 30.is provided with screw threads 62 for thereception of athreaded cylindrical adjusting member 64 which is larger than andconcentrically mounted with respect to the sleeve l6 and. thus providesan annular space 66 between its inside surface and the outsidesurface'of said sleeve. Adjusting member 64 is provided with an internalshoulder 68 which is in transverse alignment with the outer end of meansof screws 18. The flanges provided on the two cooperating retainingrings interfit so as to provide a suitable closure for the end of theapparatus. Thus, the annular space 66 may also receive a suitablelubricating medium both for the ball bearing 10 and the double rollerbearing l8. If desired, any convenient packing medium may be insertedbetween the adjacent faces of the cooperating flanges of the retainingrings 12 and 14. I

Adjusting member 64 is provided at the outside end thereof with anoperating wheel so that said member may be rotated to move it in and outof the'threaded cylindrical retaining member 30 for effecting thedesired adjustments inside register. Shaft I2 is held in operativeposition in the sleeve I6 by means of a nut 82 also threaded on thereduced end 1B.-

It will be noted that the sleeve l6 which encircles the printingcylinder shaft l2 extends from the end face of' the printing cylinderH). to the inside of the inner race of ball bearing 10 and, as mentionedabove, is supported for rotation in the double roller bearing l8. Duetothe provision of the roller bearing 16 and the flanged retaining rings12 and 14, it will be apparent that, by turning the operating wheel86,the adjusting member 64 may be moved into and out of the cylindricalmember 30 and will carry with it the printing cylinder shaft l2. In thisway, said shaft may be moved any desired limited distance, as governedby the length of the adjusting member 64 and the cylindrical member 30,for making corrections in side register of the printing cylinder l6.However, because of the bearing construc. tion, said adjusting member 64will not bev r0,- tated during rotation of the shaft [2. If desired, theadjusting member 64 maybe locked in any adjusted position by means of asuitable set screws 84.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that by removingthe nut 82 and turning the bearing housing to the position shown in dotand dash lines in Fig. 1, said bearing housing may be readily removedfrom the frame. Such removal of the housing does not require thedetachment of any of the parts associated with the side registeradjusting means. .In fact, said parts may remain in their adjustedpositions while the bearing housing is removed so that in most casesthey will not require readjustment when the housing is replacedinoperative position.

Various changes may be made in the vconstruction herein described andcertain features thereof may be employed without others withoutdeparting from my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim is:

frame having an opening therein, a bearing housing removably mounted insaid opening and adapted to receive and support a printing cylindershaft, and means carried by said housing for axially moving saidprinting cylinder shaft.

2. A rotary printing press comprising a side frame having a cylindricalopening therein, a cylindrical bearing housing removably mounted in saidopening and adapted to receive and support a printing cylinder shaft,and means carried by said housing and removable therewith for axiallymoving said printing cylinder shaft.

3. A rotary printing press comprising a side frame having a taperedopening therein through which a printing cylinder may be removed, atapered housing mounted in said opening, means i for removably holdingsaid housing in said opening, bearing means mounted in said housing, asleeve rotatably supported in said bearing means and adapted to receiveand support the shaft of the printing cylinder, a cylindrical adjustingmember'operatively and rotatably connected to said sleeve andconcentrically mounted in said housing with respect to said sleeve, andmeans for locking the shaft in said sleeve.

4. A rotary printing press comprisnig a side frame having a taperedopening therein through which a printing cylinder may be removed, atapered housing mounted in said opening, means for removably holdingsaid housing in said opening, bearing means mounted in said housing, asleeve rotatably supported in said bearing means and adapted to receiveand support the shaft of the printing cylinder, means for locking theshaft in said sleeve; and an adjusting member threaded in said housingand operatively connected to said sleeve so that it will carry saidsleeve and shaft as it is moved into and out of said housing,

5. A removable bearing holder for a rotary printing press comprising acylindrical housing member adapted to fit intoa cylindrical opening inthe printing press frame, bearing means mounted in said housing, asleeve rotatably supported in said bearing means and adapted to'framehaving an opening therein, a bearing housing removably mounted insaid opening and adapted to receive and support a printing cylindershaft, and means embodied in and form- .ing a removable unit with saidbearing housing for axially adjusting said printing cylinder shaft.

7. The rotary printing press of claim 6 in which said bearing housingcomprises a housing member adapted to be removably fixedto said frame, ashaft member adapted to be removably fixed to said shaft, the said shaftmember being axially adjustable in said housing member, and in whichsaid means is operative for axially adjusting the shaft member in thehousing member.

8. The rotary printing press of claim 6 in which said bearing housingcomprises a housing member adapted to be removably fixed to said frame,a shaft member adapted to be removably fixed to said shaft, the saidshaft member being rotatably mounted within and being also axiallyadjustable in said housingmember, and in which said means is operativefor axially adjusting the' shaft member in the housing member.

9. The rotary printing press of claim 6 in which

